" Look, I would not have come to your tent if I felt it wasn't serious. I just heard from a fence that people are starting to go missing here as well. I thought it was something the outer lands were dealing with now it has reached the sands." She said with a tone.
Marian was taken back by her attitude, he had never seen Akaria like this.
"Calm down, the ones disappearing are all young, nearly their sixteenth living year." Marian spoke in a calm tone trying to make her a bit calmer.
"Mar, that is my age. My next living year is up and coming." She paused, "I only say i am older because if not I would not be taken seriously. " Akaria spoke almost in a whisper.
"Dear Throne, you should have told me sooner at least I would have been more on guard. I have heard the stories. Some sort of cult taking the children." He stopped and looked at the evil glance she had just given him. "No not that you are a child, i'm just saying" Marian stumbled over his words before taking a deep breath.
"Look I don't need that right now, just remember you owe me" she said almost venomously. The elven man nodded his head and motioned for her to follow.
"Akaria I know you plan on saving up to cross the sands. There is no doubt i know you, You have always chased the winds and the winds here are short they lead from wall to wall. I can see you are like a bird in a cage here. I am willing to help, there are things outside of the sands that call to me. So if you would have me, I would like to come with you if you would have me." He said with a slight bow of his head.
Akaria was thrown off, Marian wanting to leave the sands was just as a shock as her real age. He was made here, his tribe was one of the most respected night hunters in the land. He had a good skinning business and made a fair living for being in the poorest side of town. She never once expected to hear him say he wanted to join.
"Marian, are you okay? Have you fallen sick? I came here for help on the whole kidnapping thing. If you want to travel with me i wont stop you. " she said , she had to maintain herself. She was excited that her friend wanted to join. Karia was one who tried to stand behind a wall guarding herself from others, but she failed as if her walls were made of glass.
Marian smirked "okay, I guess it is a plan. Akaria we are going to need some supplies and a way to move across the Sands. You know that means"
"No, I refuse. By the gods below the order and above. Marian there is not a chance in any of the hells in any of the orders that i will go to him." Akaria crossed her arms across her chest.
"Maybe he matured. Just maybe he has grown up and moved on. I barely remember the last time we saw him."
The last time we saw him he ran naked, past the guards we were supposed to sneak by. He got taken to jail and we had to pay half our score to bail him out. Does that refresh your memory Mar. Remember now?" Akaria huffed and shook her head. "Damn it i hate it when you are right, I really do" She said as she sighed. "If his clothes come off it is a done deal. I hope not all of his people are like he is."
"I have only met one Dwarven blood in my time and well we both know how he is. I'll try and help keep him less of a mess while we are together. Borgo is the only one that knows his way across the sands. He does trade with Oasis regularly and he may come in handy if violence breaks out." Marian chuckled. He had seen the old dwarf in combat, well in a small brawl that broke out in a local pub. He was a fierce fighter, said to have been part of a war in the sand. Borgo never talked about the old days unless he had a few pints of Boros Water in him. He was also one in a few who could drink goblin ale and not fall sick for days.
They made it to the back of the tent where a small roll up sleeping bag was laid in the corner of the room. There were a few chests and bags neatly arranged against the leather walls. Marian opened a chest and picked up a backpack. He strapped it to his back and reached in the chest to pull out a well crafted rapier. It was elegant in design but a skilled blade wielder could see how it had seen battle before. He then strapped a bag to his waist the muffled sound of coins could slightly be heard from within it.
The elf then pointed at the back then the front of the tent. His eyes closed as he whispered in elven under his breath.
"You and your locks, one day I'll be able to pick those as well." Akaria said as she shook her head.
"Keep dreaming young tear, unless you plan on studying arkana you'll never break my locks." Marian said with a chuckle. They walked to the front of the tent, Marian repeated the process he pointed to the back of the tent then to the front entrance followed by a whisper in elven. Karia did not have the eyes for the arcane arts but she did see a dim symbol appear on the leather of the entrance; it quickly bolted across the tent and to the back disappearing from her sight.
Akaria could not deny that she was interested in these mysterious ways but, arkane ways took years of studying and wasting your lives on old books. She shivered at that thought, why waste my years on old books when one could sell them, she smiled at that thought and made her way to the entrance. She reached out to open the entrance but was caught off guard by Marian who quicker than a sand serpent had grabbed her hand to stop her from touching the tent.
"You almost cost both of us a trip to the temple and honestly I'm not too fond of clerics." Marian opened the entrance and Akaria slowly and carefully walked out making sure not to touch the tent.
"Why can't you just use regular locks on your home like most people." She narrowed her eyes.
"Because, I am not most people," he said as he waved at the tent, the entrance closed and a marking was left on the front that warned those who tried to enter. Magic was common to the Elves and the outer world. In Valar it was scarce and not many of the sand liked to deal with those who used it.
"Akaria had seen other arkane wilders, mostly parlor tricks and magicians. Powerful users did not flaunt their skill. She had heard those select few loved as high ranking individuals in House Magnus. The House Magnus was a house of powerful arkane practitioners. Few were sent there to learn and even less stayed and became part of the family.
Stories of House Magnus Mages were ones that went down in history. People with the power to split oceans, move mountains and summon the power of the sun to turn armies to ashes.
"Nothing but stories," Akaria said under her breath. The walk to the dwarve's home was short, he lived next to the entrance to the inner ring. The inner gate district was very different from the rest of the outer ring. The buildings here were taller and more ornate than the rest of the ones around. They were well kept and more heavily guarded. Valar's inner ring was a dangerous place to live if you disrespected the crimelords of the underworld. Yet, even then you were safe from being killed. Perhaps your business would shut down and you would be forced to live in the streets. Murder was a crime taken to the highest authority and one would not want to see King Sable's executioners. The atmosphere of this area seemed different, it smelled of perfumes and there were water fountains placed around the walkways that led to the large buildings. The people here seem to not be on guard or holding on to their coin bags as much as they should be.
Marian and Akaria were not like these people, here they were on guard even more than they would be in their district. They held their coin purse close to make sure they were not a victim of their own job. The best pickpockets roamed these streets. The two tried not to stay out in the open for too long walking away from crowds. They walked across the main plaza where the gate stood and towards a fairly large two story building.
The building had a large billow of smoke coming from the top. The closer one got to the building the more one could see, it was a black smith. The building was made of a different type of stone than the others around it. It was a dark tone that seemed to help keep temperatures within it easier for the blacksmith to control. It was a strange metallic colored stone and Akaria had heard only the dwarves knew how to mine the ore.
Marian opened the door and Akaria stepped in. The place was lit up by the great forge on the back. The building was set up with torches attached to the walls of the shop area. There were armors on one side being displayed and weapons on the other side. The armors and weapons seemed very well made, simple but effective. The blades were sharp and the hilts seemed sturdy and balanced. Akaria had a blade made from the hands of Borgo. He was known to be one of the best in the outer ring.
That was the reason he was able to live in this district. The sounds of hammer striking still could be heard as they made their way to the back of the shop. The crash of steel was only interrupted by the sound of bellows blowing against the flames. The room became hotter and hotter as they approached the area where the forge stood.
Borgo was there with his shirt off but he remained clothed from waist down in a half plated pants and grieves. He was about five feet, maybe missing the mark by an inch. He was built like a short bull. He was wide but his skin was stretched by large muscles. He did have the belly of one who had made drinking alcohol more than just an occasional treat. HIs upper body rippled with muscles earned from years of forge work and battles. Borgo was older and his ale belly and gray beard was a sign of his years. The beard was grown to a little bit above his chest, it was intricately braided and some stones could be found tied to the end of his braids.
The dwarve turned his head to face the two of them and gave a big smile. Akaria thought his smile was his most prominent feature but, if one had never met Borgo it would be his missing eye that was now replaced with a black obsidian orb.
"Well well well, look what the cat's have dragged in. Or did these rats come to apologize for leaving me in the bar, where may I remind you I was robbed, then taken to jail. Or maybe you have come to ask me to do something dangerous that may get me killed." He said as he quenched the blade in oil. The smoke from the oil barrel made a loud hissing sound. He then placed the sword on the shaping table and rested his hammer next to it.